Christmas time is hear.......

i've officially started my Christmas Holiday. the last week of work felt a little manic. the kids were antsy, the teachers were antsy, and everybody appeared as if they may not be able to contain themselves....you know, like they might explode, break down in tears, or just scream and pull their hair out.

it took me the weekend to mentally and physically downshift...by Saturday eve, i could really feel my body say, 'you know, you've really been cranking along at a speedy pace, you need a break.'

there were things to do over the weekend, but it's much different when you make yourself not hurry. it's better methinks.

Anyway, here i am in the first of the new week, and i had the privilege to take the day slow, but focus most of my attention on doing stuff for other folks....wrapping some gifts, running some errands, etc. that, coupled with my quiet surroundings was most beneficial for my soul.

so allow me to post some stuff that i've come across or done....

here is one of my favorite Christmas Carols...i love to play this song


i was at the bookstore with my wife over the weekend...i was explaining to her that i wanted to find a nice devotional book to read, but that my attention span has become so short with reading due to my going through so many books since my late teens...i still love to read, but i really benefit from stuff that's simple, to the point, and a bit pithy...furthermore, i've been wanting to read some more devotional books of the 'Quaker Persuasion' because i really enjoy their practical mysticism...and i found this book below...chock full of great quotes and poems from Christians down through the ages as well as lovely poetry and such. the author's commentary has been most delightful as well...how uncanny that i found this book...just what the doctor prescribed!



















we received this Christmas card in the mail today from a family friend. it's one of the best Christmas cards i've ever seen. it's from Rwanda and the design is made out of banana fibers....i love the nativity scene and this captures it beautifully!



















finally, i couldn't resist this bumper sticker... :) though, i feel young and will just be turning 40 this spring, i'm accepting the fact that i'm just getting a little older, and thus i'm not in the same 'know' or 'loop' that i once was as a young musician and artist....though mostly in a 'counter cultural' sense, i used to stay up on loads of new music, literature, movies, etc. i just don't care anymore. i have lived long enough to agree with the writer of ecclesiates...'there is nothing new under the sun.' that's no reason to not be creative or pursue your muse or whatever, but for me, i feel like i gain so much more from just being open to what comes my way without that feverish pursuit trying to be hip, stay in the know, or whatever you wanna call it...i just don't care....of course i wouldn't have admitted to caring when i was younger either, but that is a characteristic that seems very evident in this generations 'hipsters' as well :)

okay one more share, this is the best song on Sufjan Steven's album, 'Seven Swans'